X75 Productions

Category: TXHT

  • Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators – 16/3/2019 – Game Recap

    Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators – 16/3/2019 – Game Recap

    Toronto Maple Leafs (43-23-5 91pts) v. Ottawa Senators (24-41-6 54pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    Leafs come out flat again, refusing to play any defense and hang their goaltender Garrett Sparks out to dry again. The Senators came out with determination and passion. Dictated the play all game. Disgraceful effort from Toronto.

    Lineups:

    Toronto:

    Andreas Johnsson – Auston Matthews – William Nylander

    Mitch Marner – John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Patrick Marleau – Nazem Kadri – Connor Brown

    Tyler Ennis – Frederik Gauthier – Trevor Moore

     

    Morgan Rielly  – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Muzzin – Nikita Zaitsev

    Martin Marincin – Justin Holl

     

    Garrett Sparks

    Frederik Andersen

     

    Scratched: Igor Ozhiganov

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back), Jake Gardiner (Back) and Travis Dermott (Shoulder), Kasperi Kapanen (concussion)

    Suspension: None

     

    Ottawa:

    Brady Tkachuk – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Anthony Duclair

    Rudolfs Balcers – Chris Tierney –Bobby Ryan

    Zack Smith – Oscar Lindberg – Max Veronneau

    Mikael Boedker – Brian Gibbons– Magnus Paajarvi

     

    Christian Wolanin – Cody Ceci

    Ben Harpur – Christian Jaros

    Mark Boroweicki – Dylan DeMelo

     

    Anders Nilsson

    Craig Anderson

     

    Scratched: None

    Injuries: Marian Gaborik, Thomas Chabot

    Suspension: None

    GameDay:

    First Period:

    Ottawa Goal – 6:36 – Cody Ceci (6) assisted by Christian Wolanin (5) and Max Veronneau (1)

    End of 1st – TOR – 0       OTT – 1

    Shots              10                17

    Faceoffs         9/16            7/16

    Hits               12                  14

    PP                 0/0                 0/0

    Second Period:

    Toronto Penalty – 2:30 – Zach Hyman, 2 minutes for Holding

    Ottawa Goal – 6:48 – Brian Gibbons (5), assisted by Dylan DeMelo (13) and Mikael Boedker (27)

    Toronto Penalty – 9:10 – Ron Hainsey, 2 Minutes for Holding the Stick

    Toronto Goal – 12:33 – Morgan Rielly (20) assisted by John Tavares (39)

    Ottawa Goal – 13:51 – Magnus Paajarvi (8) assisted by Rudolfs Balcers (5) and Chris Tierney (36)

    Toronto Penalty – 14:12 – Patrick Marleau, 2 minutes for Tripping

    Ottawa Goal – 18:50 – Magnus Paajarvi (9) assisted by Zack Smith (17) and Mark Borowiecki (4)

    End of 2nd – TOR- 1        OTT- 4

    Shots               19                 30

    Faceoffs          25/37           12/37

    Hits                 19                 20

    PP                   0/0                  0/3

    Third Period:

    Ottawa Penalty – 3:27 – Mark Borowiecki, 2 minutes for Tripping

    Ottawa Penalty – 3:27 – Zack Smith, 2 minutes for Roughing

    Toronto PP Goal – 5:13 – John Tavares (40) assisted by Auston Matthews (32) and William Nylander (17)

    Toronto Penalty – 5:52 – Patrick Marleau, 2 minutes for Slashing

    Ottawa Goal – 8:36 – Anthony Duclair (14) assisted by Ben Harpur (4) and Zack Smith (18)

    Ottawa Goal – 14:21 – Oscar Lindberg (8) assisted by Cody Ceci (18) and Zack Smith (19)

    Ottawa Penalty – 16:05 – Rudolf Balcers, 2 minutes for High Sticking

     

    End of 3rd – TOR- 2         OTT – 6

    Shots              37                   44

    Faceoffs        35/59               23/59

    Hits               29                     25

    PP                 1/3                    0/4

     

    Next Up:

    Toronto Maple Leafs (43-24-5 91pts) v. Nashville Predators (40-27-5 85pts)

    Ottawa Senators (25-41-6 56pts) @ Vancouver Canucks (29-32-10 68pts)

  • TXHT Podcast – 3/16/19

    TXHT Podcast – 3/16/19

    The TXHT podcast is back with Serious Hockey Talk for Serious Hockey Fans!

     

    Audio Version:

     

    This week on TXHT, Michael Lindenbaum is joined by TXHT’s Toronto Maple Leafs writer Steve Gardiner.

     

    Michael and Steve talk about an array of topics going on in the world of hockey including a preview of the NWHL Isobel Cup Championship Game between the Minnesota Whitecaps and the Buffalo Beauts.

     

    Also amongst the topics discussed on the show, Michael and Steve talk about the Morgan Reilly situation, and how poorly it was handled by the media and the fans. Plus they discuss the current states of the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs, How Tom Wilson is doing, and the questionable decisions by the Department of Player Safety.

     

    This week’s episode was recorded on Saturday, March 16th, 2019

    Opening Music: “Human Chess” by Crimson Orchid

     

    Have a question you want answered on the show? Ask us! Comment on here or on one of our Social Media outlets, and we’ll answer it.

  • Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators – 16/3/2019 – Game Preview

    Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators – 16/3/2019 – Game Preview

    Toronto Maple Leafs (43-23-5 89pts) v. Ottawa Senators (24-41-6 54pts)

     

    Time: 7p EST

    Station: CBC

     

    Preview:

    Leafs will suit Garrett Sparks for the battle of Ontario, on the hinge of a back to back. Look for the Leafs to try and get some much-needed points in this game. Ottawa looks to continue the development of their younger players in hopes of getting back into the thick of things in the Eastern Conference sooner than later.

    Top Scorers/Goalie Matchup

    Mitch Marner –85 points (24 goals 61 assists)
    John Tavares – 77 points (39 goals 38 assists) 54% on face-offs
    Morgan Rielly – 67 points (19 goals 48 assists)
    Auston Matthews – 65 points (33 goals 31 assists) 53% on Face-offs

    Thomas Chabot – 49 points (13 goals 36 assists)
    Chris Tierney –43 points (8 goals 35 assists)
    Bobby Ryan – 37 points (13 goals 24 assists)
    Brady Tkachuk  –36 points (16 goals 20 assists)

    Garrett Sparks
    7-6-1 3.04GAA .906SV%

    Craig Anderson
    14-24-4 3.52GAA .903SV%

    Toronto Maple Leafs:

    Projected Lineup:

    Andreas Johnsson – Auston Matthews – William Nylander

    Mitch Marner – John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Patrick Marleau – Nazem Kadri – Connor Brown

    Tyler Ennis – Frederik Gauthier – Trevor Moore

     

    Morgan Rielly  – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Muzzin – Nikita Zaitsev

    Martin Marincin – Igor Ozhiganov

     

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks

     

    Scratched: none

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back), Jake Gardiner (Back) and Travis Dermott (Shoulder), Kasperi Kapanen (Concussion)

    Suspension: None

     

    Ottawa:

    Brady Tkachuk – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Anthony Duclair

    Rudolfs Balcers – Chris Tierney –Bobby Ryan

    Zack Smith – Oscar Lindberg – Max Veronneau

    Mikael Boedker – Brian Gibbons– Magnus Paajarvi

     

    Christian Wolanin – Cody Ceci

    Ben Harpur – Christian Jaros

    Erik Brannstrom – Dylan DeMelo

     

    Craig Anderson

    Anders Nilsson

     

    Scratched: None

    Injuries: Marian Gaborik, Thomas Chabot

    Suspension: None

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Attack Attack Attack

    • Attack their young defense, young forwards. Don’t give them any room to move.

    2.  Win faceoffs

    • don’t give the Senators a chance to gain any momentum

    3. Use your speed

    • Leafs are one of the fastest teams in the League. Use it to your advantage

     

     

     

  • Philadelphia Flyers vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 15/03/2019 – Game Recap

    Philadelphia Flyers vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 15/03/2019 – Game Recap

    Philadelphia FLyers (34-27-8 76pts) v. Toronto Maple Leafs (42-23-5 89pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    Leafs get down by three and storm back to win it courtesy of Auston Matthews and Jake Muzzin. William Nylander looked to be the best player on the ice tonight dishing out a few assists and controlling the play all game. James Van Riemsdyk scored a hat trick and almost tied the game in the dying seconds.

     

    Lineups:

    Toronto:

    Andreas Johnsson – Auston Matthews – William Nylander

    Mitch Marner – John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Patrick Marleau – Nazem Kadri – Connor Brown

    Tyler Ennis – Frederik Gauthier – Trevor Moore

     

    Morgan Rielly  – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Muzzin – Nikita Zaitsev

    Martin Marincin – Justin Holl

     

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks

     

    Scratched: none

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back), Jake Gardiner (Back) and Travis Dermott (Shoulder), Kasperi Kapanen (Concussion)

    Suspension: None

     

    Philadelphia:

    Oskar Lindblom – Sean Couturier– Claude Giroux

    James Van Riemsdyk – Nolan Patrick –Travis Konecny

    Michael Raffl – Scott Laughton – Ryan Hartman

    Phil Varone – Corbin Knight – Justin Bailey

     

    Ivan Provorov –Travis Sanheim

    Shayne Gostisbehere – Philippe Myers

    Robert Hagg – Radko Gudas

     

    Brian Elliot

    Carter Hart

     

    Scratched: None

    Injuries: Michal Neuvirth

    Suspension: None

    GameDay:

    First Period:

    Philadelphia Penalty – 10:11 – Philippe Myers, 2 minutes for Interference

    Philadelphia Goal – 12:22 – Jakub Voracek (19) assisted by Nolan Patrick (16)

    Philadelphia Penalty – 17:22 – Travis Sanheim, 2 minutes for Slashing

    Toronto PP Goal – 17:45 – Patrick Marleau (15) assisted by William Nylander (15) and Jake Muzzin (27)

     

    End of 1st – PHI – 1       TOR – 1

    Shots              9                17

    Faceoffs         10/24         14/24

    Hits               4                  3

    PP                 0/0                 1/2

    Second Period:

    Philadelphia Goal – 1:15 – James Van Riemsdyk (22) assisted by Radko Gudas (14) and Nolan Patric (17)

    Philadelphia Penalty – 1:44 – Radko Gudas, 2 minutes for Holding

    Philadelphia Goal – 8:26 – James Van Riemsdyk (23) assisted by Claude Giroux (54) and Sean Couturier (38)

    Toronto Goal – 9:27 – Zach Hyman (17) assisted by Mitch Marner (61) and Ron Hainsey (16)

    Philadelphia Penalty – 10:42 – Travis Sanheim, 2 minutes for Slashing

    Toronto Penalty – 10:42 – Andreas Johnsson, 2 minutes for Slashing

    Philadelphia Goal – 12:29- Radko Gudas (3) assisted by Robert Hagg (14) and Sean Couturier (39)

    Philadelphia Goal -13:27 – Shayne Gostisbehere (7) assisted by Claude Giroux (55) and Travis Konecny (23)

    Toronto Goal – 16:08 – Jake Muzzin (7) assisted by Ron Hainsey (17) and Nazem Kadri (23)

    Toronto Goal – 18:11 – Jake Muzzin (8) assisted by Connor Brown (19) and Nikita Zaitsev (9)

    Toronto Penalty – 18:49 – William Nylander, 2 minutes for High Sticking

     

    End of 2nd – PHI- 5        TOR- 4

    Shots               18                 34

    Faceoffs          20/40           28/48

    Hits                 8                    7

    PP                   0/2                 1/3

    Third Period:

    Toronto Goal – 2:55 – Martin Marincin (1) assisted by Nazem Kadri (24) and Justin Holl (1)

    Philadelphia Penalty – 3:49 – Jakub Voracek, 2 minutes for Tripping

    Toronto Goal – 15:00 – Auston Matthews (33) assisted by William Nylander (16)

    Toronto Goal – 17:21 – Auston Matthews (34) assisted by Andreas Johnsson (20) and Nikita Zaitsev (10)

    Philadelphia Goal – 18:46 – James Van Riemsdyk (24) assisted by Claude Giroux (56) and Shayne Gostisbehere (27

    End of 3rd – PHI – 6        TOR – 7

    Shots              29                  51

    Faceoffs        31/71              41/71

    Hits               13                     11

    PP                 0/2                    1/4

    Next Up:

    Toronto Maple Leafs (43-23-5 91pts) v. Ottawa Senators (24-41-6 54pts)

    Philadelphia (34-29-8 76pts) @ Pittsburgh (39-23-9 87pts)

  • Philadelphia Flyers vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 15/3/2019 -Game Preview

    Philadelphia Flyers vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 15/3/2019 -Game Preview

    Philadelphia Flyers (34-27-8 76pts) v. Toronto Maple Leafs (42-23-5 89pts)

     

    Time: 7p EST

    Station: SportsNet

     

    Preview:

    Leafs look to have a better full game out of their team against the Philadelphia Flyers. Flyers are fighting for a playoff spot, so they are not to be underestimated. Freddy Andersen looks to get back in the winning column after two weird games where he gave up significantly more goals.

     

    Top Scorers/Goalie Matchup

    Mitch Marner –84 points (24 goals 60 assists)
    John Tavares – 77 points (39 goals 38 assists) 54% on face-offs
    Morgan Rielly – 67 points (19 goals 48 assists)
    Auston Matthews – 63 points (32 goals 31 assists) 53% on Face-offs

    Claude Giroux – 73 points (20 goals 53 assists)
    Sean Couturier –65 points (28 goals 37 assists)
    Jakub Voracek– 61 points (18 goals 43 assists)
    Travis Konecny  –44 points (22 goals 22 assists)

    Frederik Andersen
    33-14-4 2.68GAA .920SV%

    Brian Elliot
    11-8-1 2.59GAA .916SV%

    Toronto Maple Leafs:

    Projected Lineup:

    Andreas Johnsson – Auston Matthews – William Nylander

    Mitch Marner – John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Patrick Marleau – Nazem Kadri – Connor Brown

    Tyler Ennis – Frederik Gauthier – Trevor Moore

     

    Morgan Rielly  – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Muzzin – Nikita Zaitsev

    Martin Marincin – Igor Ozhiganov

     

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks

     

    Scratched: none

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back), Jake Gardiner (Back) and Travis Dermott (Shoulder), Kasperi Kapanen

    Suspension: None

     

    Philadelphia:

    Oskar Lindblom – Sean Couturier– Claude Giroux

    James Van Riemsdyk – Nolan Patrick –Travis Konecny

    Michael Raffl – Scott Laughton – Ryan Hartman

    Phil Varone – Corbin Knight – Justin Bailey

     

    Ivan Provorov –Travis Sanheim

    Shayne Gostisbehere – Philippe Myers

    Robert Hagg – Radko Gudas

     

    Brian Elliot

    Carter Hart

     

    Scratched: None

    Injuries: Michal Neuvirth

    Suspension: None

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1.  Don’t start flat

    • The Flyers are chasing a playoff spot and are hungry just like the Blackhawks are don’t underestimate them. Start on Time.

    2.  Get on the Defence

    • make them have to make quick decisions

    3. Andreas Johnsson

    • needs to have a strong game with Matthews. Especially while Kapanen is out.
  • Chicago Blackhawks vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 13/3/2019 – Game Preview

    Chicago Blackhawks vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 13/3/2019 – Game Preview

    Chicago Blackhawks (30-30-9 69pts) v. Toronto Maple Leafs 42-22-5 89pts)

     

    Time: 7p EST

    Station: SportsNet

     

    Preview:

    The Leafs look to rebound after being dismantled by the Tampa Lightning against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Leafs need not take this Blackhawks team lightly, as they can score in bunches and carry one of the 2 top players in the league right now.

     

    Top Scorers/Goalie Matchup

    Mitch Marner –82 points (24 goals 58 assists)
    John Tavares – 76 points (38 goals 38 assists) 54% on face-offs
    Morgan Rielly – 65 points (18 goals 47 assists)
    Auston Matthews – 61 points (31 goals 30 assists) 53% on Face-offs

    Patrick Kane – 98 points (41 goals 57 assists)
    Jonathan Toews –70 points (30 goals 41 assists)
    Alex DiBrinicat – 68 points (37 goals 31 assists)
    Erik Gustafsson  –49 points (13 goals 36 assists)

    Frederik Andersen
    33-14-4 2.62GAA .922SV%

    Corey Crawford
    10-15-2 3.22GAA .901SV%

    Toronto Maple Leafs:

    Projected Lineup:

    Andreas Johnsson – Auston Matthews – Kasperi Kapanen

    Mitch Marner – John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Patrick Marleau – Nazem Kadri – William Nylander

    Tyler Ennis – Frederik Gauthier – Trevor Moore

     

    Morgan Rielly  – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Muzzin – Nikita Zaitsev

    Martin Marincin – Igor Ozhiganov

     

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks

    Scratched: Justin Holl

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back), Jake Gardiner (Back) and Travis Dermott (Shoulder)

    Suspension: None

     

    Chicago Blackhawks:

    Brandon Saad – Jonathan Toews– Dylan Sikura

    Dominik Kahun – Artem Anisimov –Patrick Kane

    Alex DiBrinicat – Dylan Strome – Brendan Perlini

    Chris Kunitz – David Kampf– Marcus Kruger

     

    Duncan Keith – Gustav Forsling

    Carl Dahlstrom – Connor Murphy

    Erik Gustafsson – Brent Seabrook

     

    Corey Crawford

    Colin Delia

     

    Scratched: None

    Injuries: Cam Ward, Drake Caggiula

    Suspension: None

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Be tough on the puck

    • no fancy stuff, get the dirty goals. Screen the goalie.

    2. Morgan Rielly

    • He’ll need to be active and strong defensively, while consistently moving the play up the ice.

    3. Jake Muzzin

    • needs to bring a physical game and cut off the Hawks cycle game
  • Arizona: Top 10 Prospects

    Arizona: Top 10 Prospects

    TXHT begins another series on the top 10 prospects in each teams system. This will be alternating alongside the Impact on Hockey series. This series will take an in-depth look at the top 10 prospects in each system and give a little insight into the player they are and potentially could become.

    10. Goaltender – Aiden Hill

    Shoots L
    Born May 11, 1996 — Comox, BC
    Height 6.06 — Weight 202 [198 cm/92 kg]
    Drafted by Arizona Coyotes- round 3 #76 overall 2015 NHL Entry Draft

    Hill in 21 games this season with the Tucson Roadrunners carries solid numbers. Posting a 2.49 GAA and a .911 Save % – Which is pretty stellar considering he is playing for one of the most fantastic farm teams. Hill was a called up a few times this season with a rash of injuries occurring and once again posted some good numbers – 7-5-0 with a 2.76GAA and 901 Save %. Which is less than his AHL number but most goalies lately aren’t seeming to find their place in the NHL until between the ages of 27-29. Arizona owns a goalie right now that didn’t start until he was 29 – Antti Raanta – so at the age of 22 this kid has all the tools, including athleticism and great composure.

    9. Goaltender – Merrick Madsen

    Shoots L
    Born Aug 22 1995 — Acton, CA
    Height 6.05 — Weight 190
    Drafted by Philadelphia Flyers- round 6 #162 overall 2013 NHL Entry Draft

    Madsen doesn’t have the shot at the top that Hill does, he still is showing to be an excellent prospect. Playing for Havard of the NCAA, He had a 2.27 GAA and .918 save percentage, which is very nice numbers.

    Madsen will get his shot at the pro level as he joins the Tucson Roadrunners. Madsen deserves a look. He’s big enough (6’5″) which is the modern mold, and with some good development, he could develop in a nice Goaltender.

    8. Left Wing – Brayden Burke
    Shoots L
    Born Jan 1, 1997 — Edmonton, ALTA
    Height 5.10 — Weight 170

    Burke is an undrafted 22-year-old with some amazing offensive upside. So far in his first 53 games with Tucson,  Burke has amassed 11 goals and 14 assists for 24 points. He hasn’t had very many minutes, especially on the powerplay. But look for him to get some more ice-time in the 2019/2020 season, Burke may even get a look at the pro level given his age.

    7. Defense – Jordan Gross

    Shoots R
    Born May 9, 1995 — Maple Grove, MN
    Height 5.10 — Weight 195

    Gross, another NCAA player who is a bit of an overager. Clocked in at 22 years old, Gross played a pivotal goal-scoring role from the defense, scoring 10 goals and 20 assists in 40 games. He was known for his special team prowess, scoring the majority of his points there.

    Gross came into this season expecting a bigger role and he hasn’t disappointed. In 52 games this year with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL, Gross has put together 5 goals and 16 assists. Gross has the ability to QB the powerplay, as well as open up ice for teammates on 5 on 5. Don’t be shocked if you see him in Arizona in the 2019/2020 season.

    6. Right Wing – Conor Garland

    Shoots R
    Born Mar 11, 1996 — Scituate, MA
    Height 5.10 — Weight 165 
    Drafted by Arizona Coyotes – round 5 #123 overall 2015 NHL Entry Draft
    Garland had back to back 120 point seasons in the Canadian Juniors. Garland is one of these weird breeds of players, the AHL doesn’t seem to suit him. Coming in from the juniors a playmaker, he just hasn’t been able to find it in the AHL. But with a rash of injuries in Arizona, they called up the 22-year-old and boy has been a scoring machine. Getting 4th line minutes as the Coyotes try to make the playoffs Garland has 12 goals and 3 assists in 39 games. But his defensive game, physical game and just overall game has looked leaps above what has been expected. Fun player to watch, especially when he forechecks.
    5. Center – Tyler Steenbergen
    Shoots R
    Born Jan 7, 1998 — Sylvan Lake, ALTA 
    Height 5.10 — Weight 188
    Drafted by Arizona Coyotes– round 5 #128 overall 2017 NHL Entry Draft
    Steenbergen is a lot of the same things as Brayden Burke – who was discussed earlier – but younger. After scoring 90 points last season, he followed it up with a 102 point debut. He was a Second-Team All-Star in the WHL and scored the Championship winning goal for Canada at the U20 World Juniors.
    Don’t expect to see Steenbergen in the minors long. He does everything right, plays a great 2-way game, good faceoff man, and plays a bigger game than his stature suggests.
    4. Defense – Kyle Capobianco
    Shoots L
    Born Aug 13 1997 — Mississauga, ONT
    Height 6.01 — Weight 196
    Drafted by Arizona Coyotes– round 3 #63 overall 2015 NHL Entry Draft

    Capobianco is probably the most intriguing of all the defencemen in Arizona’s system.Capobianco is a more rigid two-way presence and is better defensively than a lot of the guys in the Coyotes system. He was 38th in rookies in scoring and fourth in rookie defensemen in the AHL. But Capobianco plays with an edge and some grit to his game. Most project him as a potential partner for Oliver-Ekman Larsson. At least a top 4 guy for sure.

     

    3. Center – Barrett Hayton

    Shoots L
    Born Jun 9, 2000 — Peterborough, ONT
    Height 6.01 — Weight 191 [185 cm/87 kg]
    Drafted by Arizona Coyotes – round 1 #5 overall 2018 NHL Entry Draft
    Hayton was drafted 5th overall by the Coyotes for potential. 0.95 point per game player in the OHL – which is not great for a 5th overall pick. But what set Hayton apart was he was playing on a fantastic team in a depth role for the majority of the season – under a point per game isn’t so big then. The expectation is with a bigger role he would have been able to contribute more and as of right now he’s proving it to be true. Hayton so far in 37 games is averaging over a point per game – 22 goals 38 assists for 60 points.
    Hayton is still a diamond in the rough, but Arizona is ready to be patient and develop him. Should be at least a solid top 9 player, at his peak could be top 2 centermen.
    2. Defense – Pierre-Olivier Joseph
    Shoots L
    Born Jul 1, 1999 — Chambly, PQ
    Height 6.02 — Weight 168 
    Drafted by Arizona Coyotes– round 1 #23 overall 2017 NHL Entry Draft
    Another defenceman in the Coyotes pool. Joseph is built in the mold of someone like Hampus Lindholm – a mobile defensive defenseman who can play shutdown and throw a few points in here and there. He’s gonna carry a heavy defensive load and penalty kill a lot. Which makes for a great partner for all their offensive-minded defencemen.
    1. Right Wing – Nick Merkley
    Shoots L
    Born May 23, 1997 — Calgary, ALTA
    Height 5.10 — Weight 194 
    Drafted by Arizona Coyotes– round 1 #30 overall 2015 NHL Entry Draft
    Merkley has come along way from when he was drafted, He has the potential to be a top line winger but scoring was lacking at the beginning. But last season in Tuscan he seemed to turn a corner his defensive game was elevated, he showed flashes of offensive prowess and ended the season a point per game player. Look for Merkley to get some serious chances to become a top line winger in Arizona in the near future.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 12/3/2019 – Game Recap

    Tampa Bay Lightning vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 12/3/2019 – Game Recap

    Tampa Bay Lightning (52-13-4 108pts) v. Toronto Maple Leafs (42-21-5 87pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    Maple Leafs get dominated in Toronto, as the Lightning show just why they are the best team in the league. The Leafs had no answer for stopping the onslaught that was Tampa Bay. Matthews had a brilliant goal but it did make anything easier as the Lightning would go on to score 2 more goals after.

     

    Lineups:

    Toronto:

    Andreas Johnsson – Auston Matthews – Kasperi Kapanen

    Mitch Marner – John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Patrick Marleau – Nazem Kadri – William Nylander

    Tyler Ennis – Frederik Gauthier – Connor Brown

     

    Morgan Rielly  – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Muzzin – Nikita Zaitsev

    Martin Marincin – Igor Ozhiganov

     

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks

     

    Scratched: Justin Holl

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back), Jake Gardiner (Back) and Travis Dermott (Shoulder)

    Suspension: None

     

    Tampa:

    Ondrej Palat – Steven Stamkos – JT Miller

    Tyler Johnson – Brayden Point –Nikita Kucherov

    Alex Killorn – Anthony Cirelli – Mathieu Joseph

    Yanni Gourde – Cedric Paquette – Ryan Callahan

     

    Victor Hedman – Mikhail Sergachev

    Ryan McDonough – Erik Cernak

    Brayden Coburn – Jan Rutta

     

    Andrei Vasilevskiy

    Louis Domingue

     

    Scratched: None

    Injuries: None

    Suspension: None

    GameDay:

    First Period:

    Toronto Penalty – 5:56 – Jake Muzzin, 2 minutes for Interference

    Tampa Bay Goal – 10:07 – Tyler Johnson (23) assisted by Ryan McDonagh (27) and Nikita Kucherov (78)

    Tampa Bay Goal – 18:38- Anthony Cirelli (14) assisted by Mikhail Sergachev(20) and Alex Killorn (21)

     

    End of 1st – TBL – 2       TOR – 0

    Shots              14               9

    Faceoffs         10/20           10/20

    Hits               8                  7

    PP                 0/1                 0/0

    Second Period:

    Tampa Bay Goal – 4:20 – Tyler Johnson (24) assisted by Brayden Point (46) and Ryan McDonagh (28)

    Tampa Bay Goal – 4:50- Ondrej Palat (8) assisted by Brayden Coburn (16) and Jan Rutta (5)

    Toronto Goal – 11:49- Auston Matthews (31) assisted by Andreas Johnsson (18) and Nikita Zaitsev (8)

    Tampa Bay Penalty – 17:03 – Erik Cernak, 2 minutes for Interference

    Tampa Bay SH Goal – 18:16- Cedric Paquette (11) assisted by Victor Hedman (35) and Yanni Gourde (22)

     

    End of 2nd – TOR- 0        TOR- 0

    Shots              27                19

    Faceoffs          20/40          20/40

    Hits                 15                  9

    PP                   0/1                  0/1

    Third Period:

    Tampa Bay Goal – 5:59- Cedric Paquette (12) assisted by Yanni Gourde (23) and Jan Rutta (6)

    Tampa Bay Penalty – 13:27 – Mathieu Joseph, 2 minutes for Tripping

    Toronto Goal – 19:55- Connor Brown 6) assisted by Patrick Marleau (21) and Nazem Kadri (22)

    End of 3rd – WAS – 0         WAS – 0

    Shots              42                   28

    Faceoffs        29/64            35/64

    Hits              20                    14

    PP                 0/1                    0/2

    Next Up:

    Chicago Blackhawks (30-30-9 69pts) v. Toronto Maple Leafs (42-22-5 89pts)

    Tampa Bay Lightning (53-13-4 110pts) @ Detroit Red Wings (24-35-10 58pts)

  • Tampa Bay Lightning vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 11/3/2019 – Game Preview

    Tampa Bay Lightning vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 11/3/2019 – Game Preview

    Tampa Bay Lightning (52-13-4 108pts) v. Toronto Maple Leafs (42-21-5 89pts)

     

    Time: 7p EST

    Station: SportsNet

     

    Preview:

    Maple Leafs look to stay hot against the top team in the league the Tampa Bay Lightning. Expect a goaltenders duel with the Leafs Frederik Andersen and the Lightning Andrei Vasilevskiy getting the starts in net – two of the top goalies in the league.

     

    Top Scorers/Goalie Matchup

    Mitch Marner –82 points (24 goals 58 assists)
    John Tavares – 76 points (38 goals 38 assists) 54% on face-offs
    Morgan Rielly – 65 points (18 goals 47 assists)
    Auston Matthews – 60 points (30 goals 30 assists) 53% on Face-offs

    Nikita Kucherov – 110 points (33 goals 77 assists)
    Brayden Point –82 points (37 goals 45 assists)
    Steven Stamkos – 79 points (34 goals 45 assists)
    Victor Hedman –43 points (9 goals 34 assists)

    Frederik Andersen
    33-13-3 2.56GAA .924SV%

    Andrei Vasilevskiy
    31-8-4 2.24GAA .931SV%

    Toronto Maple Leafs:

    Projected Lineup:

    Andreas Johnsson – Auston Matthews – Kasperi Kapanen

    Mitch Marner – John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Patrick Marleau – Nazem Kadri – William Nylander

    Tyler Ennis – Frederik Gauthier – Connor Brown

     

    Morgan Rielly  – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Muzzin – Nikita Zaitsev

    Martin Marincin – Igor Ohziganov

     

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks

     

    Scratched: Justin Holl

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back), Jake Gardiner (Back) and Travis Dermott (Shoulder)

    Suspension: None

     

    Tampa:

    Ondrej Palat – Steven Stamkos – JT Miller

    Tyler Johnson – Brayden Point –Nikita Kucherov

    Alex Killorn – Anthony Cirelli – Mathieu Joseph

    Yanni Gourde – Cedric Paquette – Ryan Callahan

     

    Victor Hedman – Mikhail Sergachev

    Ryan McDonaugh – Erik Cernak

    Brayden Coburn – Jan Rutta

     

    Andrei Vasilevskiy

    Louis Domingue

     

    Scratched: None

    Injuries: None

    Suspension: None

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Dictate the pace of the game

    • The Lightning are good and will get their chances. But they must be limited if the Leafs are able to dictate the pace of the game it may help slow them down.

    2. Win the faceoffs and control the puck

    • Leafs need their centerman to be at their best game in the circle. This will allow the Leafs to keep control of the puck.

    3. Freddy Andersen

    • Has to be at the top of his game for the Leafs to win

     

     

     

  • March 8th, 2019 — News and Notes

    March 8th, 2019 — News and Notes

    Today is Friday, March 8th, 2019, and these are your news and notes.

    There were 11 NHL contests yesterday


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations and their respective owners

    Yesterday’s Results (Home team in CAPS):

    BOSTON 4, Florida 3

    The Boston Bruins would sneak past the Florida Panthers with a 4-3 win last night.  Boston’s Patrice Bergeron would score twice in the contest and Brad Marchand would have a three assist night.  With Boston’s win, they would go on to extend their point streak to 18 contests.

     

    Boston’s goaltender Tuukka Rask would go on to have a 22 save performance in the contest.

     


    *Image is the property of the Boston Bruins, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    PITTSBURGH 3, Columbus 0

    The Pittsburgh Penguins would go on to shutout the Columbus Blue Jackets last night with the 3-0 win.


    *Image is the property of the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    NY Islanders 4, OTTAWA 2

    The New York Islanders would go on to double up the Ottawa Senators with the 4-2 win and Valtteri Filppula would go on to have two goals in the contest for the Islanders.

    With the win, the Islanders would go on to get the sweep in the home-and-home series against the Senators.

     

     

    DETROIT 3, NY Rangers 2 (SO)

    Detroit’s Andreas Athanasiou would score a goal in the contest and would get what would be the only goal in the shootout frame to seal the win for the Red Wings in the contest. 

     

     

    For the Rangers, Pavel Buchnevich would score what would be the two goals in the contest.

    Minnesota 3, TAMPA BAY 0

    The Minnesota Wild would cool off the white-hot Tampa Bay Lightning with the 3-0 win.  Minnesota’s Jason Zucker would score the only goals in the contest.

     

     

    With the lone goals scored by Zucker, he would be only the second player in franchise history and the 23rd in League history to not only have at least three goals that were the only goals in the contest but the team would also register a shutout as well.

     

     

    CHICAGO 5, Buffalo 4 (SO)

    The Chicago Blackhawks would go on to register the 5-4 shootout win against the Buffalo Sabres.

     

     

    Chicago’s Artem Anisimov would go on to have two goals in the contest, while Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane would both go on to have two assists in the contest.

     

     

    DALLAS 4, Colorado 0

    The Dallas Stars would go on to shutout the Colorado Avalanche in Dallas last night and Alexander Radulov would go on to register a hat trick in the contest, sealing the hat trick in the contest with 2:58 left in the third period with his empty net goal.

     

     

    EDMONTON 3, Vancouver 2

    The Edmonton Oilers would go on to sneak past the Vancouver Canucks with the 3-2 win last night.

    Edmonton’s Alex Chiasson, Zack Kassian, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would go on to score the goals for the Oilers in the contest.

    Vancouver’s Jay Beagle would go on to snap his scoreless streak in the contest with his third goal on the season late in the second period.  Alexander Edler would also go on to register a goal in the third period but that would not be enough to tie up the game.

     

    ARIZONA 2, Calgary 0

     

    The Arizona Coyotes would go on to blank the Calgary Flames last night and with the win, the Coyotes would move to a record of 33-29-5.

     

     

    Calgary Flames infographic from last night’s contest

     


    *Image is the property of the Calgary Flames, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    St. Louis 4, LOS ANGELES 0

     

     

     

    The St. Louis Blues would go on to record their fifth shutout in the past twelve contests and the NHL-best ninth shutout on the season as they would go on to blank the Los Angeles Kings by the score of 4-0.

     

    SAN JOSE 5, Montreal 2

     

    San Jose Sharks defenceman Brent Burns would go on to record his 60th assist on the season, and joins three other players to have at least 60 assists at the age of 33 or older.

     

     

     


    *Image is the property of the San Jose Sharks, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    For the Montreal Canadiens, Andrew Shaw and Artturi Lehkonen would score the only goals, despite out shooting the Sharks in this contest.

     


    *Image in the property of the Montreal Canadiens, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

     

     

    Tonight’s NHL schedule of contests…


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

     

    FB_IMG_1551878102760

     

    Last night in the 2019 NWHL’s Isobel Cup Playoffs Play-in game, the Metropolitan Riveters would take on the Connecticut Whale and would come out with the 5-2 win.

    The contest would be fast-paced in the first period, with the game being tied a 2-2.  The second period in the contest would be filled with penalties and neither team would take advantage of the extra skater.  The third period would start out slow until Riveters Audra Richards would end up scoring what would be the game winner at the 2:35 mark.  There would not be another goal scored until toward the end of the period when Alexa Grushow would score her second goal in the contest and then with 16 seconds left, Audra Richards would score an empty net goal.

    The Metropolitan Riveters will now take on the Minnesota Whitecaps on Sunday 2:30 p.m., ET/1:30 p.m., CT.

    TXHT’s Christopher Vasilas has your full recap of the contest between the Connecticut Whale and Metropolitan Riveters at the following page.